A bill that would repeal Alabama's habitual offender law has been advanced by a divided legislative committee.
The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill on a 9-5 vote on Wednesday.
Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa introduced the bill that would do away with sentencing mandates for new cases and allow some prisoners to have their sentences reviewed. England said mandatory sentences in habitual offender laws result in arbritrarily long sentences.
The bill will now move to the Alabama House of Representatives, which only has 13 remaining meeting days in its legislative session.